Yampa Valley Foundation awards more than $200,000

By JOSH NICHOLSDaily Press writerThe Yampa Valley Community Foundation awarded a total of $200,245 during the fourth quarter of 2001, nearly doubling its total for the year 2001."Fifty percent of the entire year came out during the fourth quarter," said Dianna Sutton, president of the foundation. "During the holiday season people are in a more giving spirit."Sutton explained that grants from the foundation come from two different sources.The first is donor-advised funds, in which people choose where they want their money to go when donating.Donor advised funds equalled $181,443 in the fourth quarter.The remaining $18,802 in funds comes in the form of a competitive grant process in which ten local organizations were awarded money to support their community efforts.In all, 174 grants were distributed for the entire year equaling $405,000.Two grants were awarded to Moffat County organizations in the past year.Through the Legacy Educational Initiative Fund, which receives 501 C-3 and fiscal support through the foundation, $13,500 was donated to place-based educational programming in the Moffat County School District.Paul Sachs, project coordinator for the Legacy Educational Initiative Fund, said the grant will allow teachers to engage in workshops over the summer in order to generate additional curriculum for the Moffat County School District.Another grant of $4,000 went to Moffat County Partners to assist in funding the RAD after school program for Moffat County Schools.Sutton stressed that although the Yampa Valley Community Foundation is headquartered in Steamboat Springs, Moffat County agencies are just as eligible for grants as Routt County agencies."We are a valley-wide community foundation," she said. "We look for opportunities to extend our reach into Moffat County."Applications may be submitted year-round and are reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Yampa Valley Community Foundation.Applications can be requested by calling (970) 879-8632.